Fairy Tail: Online
by ForgottenWhispersxo
Summary: (Inspired by Sword Art Online) In a world where technology has advanced beyond imagination, Lucy Heartfilia decides to use the virtual realm to get closer to Natsu Dragneel. As their virtual relationship begins to blossom, the pair find themselves spending less and less time in the real world, unaware of the consequences they're about to face. (NaLu / Full summary inside)
1. Beginning

**Series:** Fairy Tail, AU.  
**Type:** On-Going Fanfiction.  
**Genre:** Romance, Fantasy, Slice of Life, Comedy, Adventure.  
**Main Pairings:** NaLu.  
**Secondary Pairings:** Gajevy, Jerza, Gruvia. Others might occur.  
**Rating:** T (Teen)  
**Updates: **Vary until I return to the UK on the 9th of January.

(Inspired by Sword Art Online) In a world where technology has advanced beyond imagination, MMORPGs take the form of different realms where players can 'physically' exist as virtual avatars capable of feeling pain and expressing emotions. In her virtual disguise, Lucy Heartfilia decides to track down her real life crush and use the virtual realm as a method of getting to know him better. As their virtual relationship begins to blossom, Lucy and Natsu find themselves spending less and less time in the real world, unaware of the consequences they're about to face.

**Important Note: **The name chosen for Lucy's avatar "Celest" is not a spelling error. I'm aware of the accurate spelling "Celeste", it isn't meant to be Latin. It was literally derived from the class she chose: "Celestial Wizard", thus she fumbled around and came up with "Celest". It was done to show Lucy's lack of knowledge when it comes to gaming, in her rush to decide a name she typed it like that. This was actually done on purpose and will come up next chapter for comical reasons. Thank you, sorry for any misunderstandings.

* * *

_As promised, I got the first chapter posted as quickly as I could. I hope it's what you guys have been expecting, I was thrilled to see so many of you getting excited when I posted the synopsis on tumblr. Well, here it is!_

_Bold Dialogue - Lucy.  
Regular Dialogue - Other characters._

* * *

**PROLOGUE**

* * *

Dear Scripta,

I'm sure you've been logged in a while waiting for this. The real world isn't safe for me anymore, but you already know that, don't you? They're tracking my every move; _he _already knows that I'm here. He's waiting for me. I have to end this; I have to finish what they started. This is all my fault; I want to make amends for his wrong doings. For the way they treated this beautiful place.

I never thought this world would make me feel so alive. All this time I was wrong about this place, about the virtual worlds you and the others spend so much time in, I was so wrong. By the time you receive this I'll already be gone, as long as I'm here, this message will never reach you.

Even though it's made of numbers, this world is a fascinating place. It's far more incredible than anything I've experienced before, than what I expected. Even now as these virtual tears memorise every curve of my face, the way my eyes burn and my heart aches, these feelings are real. I can feel pain in this place, I can feel happiness here. These emotions, there's no way they're just coding and numbers. I feel how I feel because of this place, because of you guys.

I have only one request, if he doesn't know by the time you receive this message… tell Natsu everything, okay? Tell him that Lucy Heartfilia, the spoiled Princess of his world, joined this game to be by his side. Don't blame yourselves, this was my choice.

I love you, Levy.

From, Celest.

* * *

**CHAPTER ONE: BEGINNING**

* * *

**"I wonder what it'll feel like… existing in a virtual world. Will everything feel the same as it does here?"**

Removing the protective sheet from the game sitting in her lap, Lucy scrutinized the cover with great curiosity. The lettering was bold and bright, it'd certainly making selling the game to a child that much easier. But then, Lucy had always considered gaming to be for children, so it seemed logical to her. The picture was beautifully painted, it certainly looked inviting. Beneath the title a small caption 'welcome to Fiore' faded into the clear sky.

Hazel eyes lifted to the clock situated in the far corner of her room, the light filtering in through the window behind her made the digits difficult to read. Would she really abandon the warmth of real sunlight for a virtual land?

Of course she would. For _him_, she'd do anything.

**"It's almost time for me to log in and meet Levy," **flipping the case over, Lucy studied the list of classes featured there; **"This one looks cute. A Celestial Wizard, also known as a Summoner. They summon spirits in the form of weapons and allies to aid them in battle. Sure, I can go for that. Besides, I'd look cute in that outfit."**

It took her a moment to set up the gear Levy had loaned her, to think her tiny companion was such avid gamer. It had to be Gajeel's doing, that boy had Lucy's best friend wrapped around his finger.

**"She said my player details and language were already set up… so all I have to do is log in, create an avatar and a, what did she call it again? Ah, right, a gamer tag."**

Lucy's fingers began to tremble against the hardware sitting in her hands. Forcing the compartment open she slipped the disc into place, a soft hum filling the room.

**"This is it," **disgruntled by the aesthetics of her headgear, Lucy slipped it on unwillingly. Alarmed by the weight of it she let her body fall back on the bed. **"Link start, Fairy Tail Online."**

Just like that she felt her consciousness separate from her body, as though her soul had been ripped free of her physical form. There was no pain, but the shock was enough to shake her resolve. Releasing a scream, Lucy fought off the oncoming digits and coding. Lights flickered on beneath her, coloured dots rising from the illumination and circling her form. As far as she could tell, her body was floating in mid-air.

"Welcome to Fairy Tail Online. Lucy Heartfilia, please enter your desired gamer tag using the keys before you."

Startled by the omniscient, undetectable voice, Lucy kept her gaze forward, unsure how to proceed. Levy could have warned her about this.

**"M-my gamer tag… right, um," **with fingers that still trembled, Lucy pressed the airborne digits one by one before hitting enter.

"Your chosen gamer tag is Celest, would you like to continue?"

**"Yes."**

That same humming from before filled the empty space around her, tearing the coloured dots apart. The particles surrounding her gave birth to different forms, each one similar to the designs shown on the back of the game case. They looked like holograms, though far more detailed.

"Please select a class; we will then create an avatar based on your physical and mental stats."

**"I choose Celestial Wizard… um, confirm?"**

"Congratulations, you may now enter the realm of Fiore. Enjoy your stay."

The space around her was torn asunder, exposing beyond its dark crevices the wonders of a new world. Beneath her feet, Lucy could feel the grass as it spread beyond her, trees sprouting from the Earth. Buildings framed the perimeter of the rural area, fluctuating in size and shape. It didn't look much different from Earth, save the inconceivable glow far exceeding the sunlight she knew. The sky above was as clear as could be, bird-like creatures fluttering close to the trees.

"Ah! You made it! That's funny, I knew you'd pick a Celestial Wizard, Gajeel and I even made a bet."

_That voice. _Though unfamiliar in this world, Lucy knew very well where it came from. Spinning on her heels she came face to face with a small girl, blue hair pulled back into a lengthy braid. Her eyes weren't dark like Levy's; instead they shone a brilliant shade of blue. The lengthy waves framing her cheeks barely concealed the large, pointed ears behind them.

**"Levy?! Is that—"**

"Shhh, look," Levy lifted her hand, pointing to the tag above her head, "In here, my name is Scripta."

**"Right, Scripta. I'll remember that."**

The elven girl stepped forward to embrace Lucy's avatar, the warmth so surreal the sceptical Heartfilia almost believed she'd never left the real world behind.

"Come on, I'll explain some of the rules to you, but let's do it elsewhere, Gajeel and I recently bought an apartment up in Fairy Hills, it's really cute, you'll like it. Oh! For future reference, Gajeel's gamer tag is Steel. Don't forget it, kay?"

* * *

Shelves cluttered with books lined the many walls of Levy's apartment; there wasn't a single trace of Gajeel to be seen. Interior-wise or presence-wise, the room screamed bookworm. The pair had been left to their own devices here since Gajeel had yet to log on. The warmth of sunlight painted the inside of the room, filling it with an energy Lucy couldn't quite explain. Everything about this world felt different, lighter, yet filled with so much life.

"Right! That's it, you got it! If you ever need to track me down or send me a message, just hit that button there. Since we're friends in the game now, you can locate me at any time."

**"And money here is called… Jewels?"**

"You got it! I'm so proud of you!"

Somehow, Levy's words summoned a touch of pink to Lucy's features. This wasn't the first time she'd been praised by Levy, nor would it be the last. But every single time it sent butterflies swimming in her stomach. A strange notion, could butterflies even swim? In this world, anything was possibly.

**"Hey, I have a que—"**

"Ah! You haven't seen your avatar yet, have you?! Wait right there, I have a mirror somewhere in my inventory!"

Lucy was startled by the small girl's enthusiasm, though she couldn't deny her curiosity. She'd taken little interest in her appearance after being dragged here so abruptly, she'd almost forgotten about the change.

"Ta-da!"

Emerald eyes greeted Lucy from behind the mirror; they were framed by dark lashes, an even darker set of hair covering her forehead. Lengthy strands fell on either side of her face, both braided at the ends. Two short ponytails protruded from both sides of her head, unlike Levy, Lucy wasn't sporting pointed ears. Her attire was pleasing to the eye, though it did little to hide her curves. The torso of her shirt was decorated with tiny stars, the material resting just above her belly button. Long sleeves, separated from the shirt itself, rest on her forearms, the material laced around her fingers. Similarly designed stockings engulfed her legs, resting above her knees to give way to a pair of light blue shorts.

**"Ah! I was right! I do look killer in this outfit!"**

Levy's giggles pulled Lucy away from her prideful moment, the elven woman reaching out to press her hand against Lucy's own.

"Since you're a Celestial Wizard, you should have a set of keys in your inventory already. Two of them, actually. One is a weapon, the other is kind of like a pet, I guess. They guide you through this world."

**"How do you know so much about this?" **

Bringing the menu alive with her fingertips, Lucy searched for the keys Levy had mentioned, relieved to see two of them were intact.

"I'm one of the lesser chosen classes, I'm a mage that relies on books. A Script Mage. We're kind of like information brokers, people pay us for information, how do you think I could afford this apartment at my level? We can also cast spells with the help of incantations and spell books. Pretty neat, huh? I thought a class that relies on words would be right up my street!"

**"That does sound pretty interesting. Wait, what do I do with these?"**

Upon selecting the keys from the menu, both materialised before her, forged in white gold. Each had its own individual crest which made differentiating them a lot easier than she'd anticipated. Retrieving them from her lap, Lucy eyed them curiously, unsure how to go about her next move.

"Wow, they gave you a pretty good spirit for a beginner. That one right there is a bow spirit; it'll give you near perfect accuracy so that you can shoot from a great distance. That's what you'll use in battle. This one… exists as your familiar. I don't think I've ever seen this key before; you should summon it and see. A lot of people like to name their spirits, you should too, it makes opening their gates a little easier. Just hold the key in the air and say 'open, gate of the, ah, does that say _dog_?"

**"W-wait, I have to shoot a bow?! I don't know anything about archery!"**

"This isn't the real world, remember? Your weapon is also a spirit; it will do half the work for you. Now stop panicking and summon your dog spirit!"

Climbing off the bed, Lucy spun the key between her fingers, a confident grin altering her panicked countenance.

**"Open, gate of the dog spirit!"**

A flash of light consumed the room, the key balanced within her fingertips trembling with a powerful energy.

"How cute!"

Lucy's eyes ticked between Levy and the creature now sitting on the ground before her, his body was whiter than snow, a large, pointed nose his only distinguishing feature. He seemed to shake violently in his place, as though assaulted by lashings of cold air.

**"Ah! So you're my ****_dog_****, huh? It's nice to meet you."**

"Plue!"

Dropping to her knees, Lucy scooped the creature into her arms, a loud squeal reverberating off the walls.

**"You're so adorable!"**

"Plue, Plue!"

Lowering the small creature, Lucy eyed it for a moment, attempting to make sense of his quiet voice.

**"Plue? What does that mean? Oh, I know, is that your name?"**

Sure enough its round head bowed to confirm Lucy's suspicions. He seemed to lose balance thanks to the large circumference of his head, his form tipping forward into Lucy's lap.

"That's strange, why can't he talk?"

Levy's voice pulled Lucy's attention free of the adorable creature nestled against her thighs, their eyes locked for a moment, Levy's confusion sending chills beneath Lucy's virtual skin.

**"What do you mean?"**

"Spirits are capable of speech; even the weapons are capable of mental communication. Plue appears incapable of articulating anything other than his name. I wonder why."

**"I'm sure it's nothing, besides, he's a cutie!"**

"You're right, I'm sure it's nothing. Hey! We should go! Now that you have Plue by your side you can accept your first quest. The job of your first spirit is to navigate the town you're in and alert you to the nearest quest. They can also forge maps of the land as you travel. Come on, let's go find a quest for you!"

* * *

**"So Magnolia Town is home to one of those guilds you mentioned, right? How come you didn't join a guild yet?"**

"Magnolia Town is home to the elite Fairy Tail guild, only the strongest members are allowed to join. They take on S-Class quests, most of them are level seventy or higher. It'd take me years to reach their stats. They're all fairly nice people, though. I've learned a lot from one of their members, Freed. He helped me locate some rare books when I first started the game, said he felt like doing a good deed. The reason their guild is placed in the beginning town so that they can help newcomers and guide them along the way. Some of them are even quest givers."

**"Weird, I didn't expect this game to be so… intense. I bet they've beaten the game a bunch of times though, huh?"**

"Actually… nobody has ever been able to complete Fairy Tail Online. Even the Fairy Tail mages. A lot of people reach the final boss and never log in again; probably due to frustration. They say a Dragon guards the Dark Wizard we're supposed to beat. Nobody has ever seen it, though. So far it has managed to wipe out every player from a distance."

**"Wow, the Dragon must be really powerful if the strongest guild can't beat it."**

"Plue! Plue!"

**"Plue? What's wrong?"**

The trembling creature extended its tiny arm towards a large park. The sign hanging above it read "South Gate Park"; a variety of players cluttered the area, laughing and duelling to their hearts content. The tranquillity of the scene was soon shattered when a burst of energy came flying through the gate. Stepping back, Lucy grabbed Plue from the ground, dragging Levy away from the oncoming blast. The three of them staggered away from the gate just in time to avoid the explosion that could very well have wiped them out.

**"What the hell was that? Did we just get attacked?"**

A groan sounded beneath Lucy, prompting the virtual brunette into climbing off her tiny friend. Clambering to her feet, Levy brushed down her dress, tendrils of smoke still consuming the view of the park.

"A powerful mage must be duelling in there, I've never seen an area effect like that. It was—"

"Hey! Are you alright? Man, I thought you were goners for sure! Well, at least I won."

The male approaching them had a mess of blonde hair, stray strands falling over his face. Bruises adorned his pale skin, eyes a fierce shade of red wide with concern.

**"You should watch what you're doing! Some of us are new here!"**

"Don't yell at Salamander, he was doing his best to win!"

Circling around the male was a small blue cat, large wings flapping behind him. He flew dangerously close to Lucy, large eyes delving deep into her own.

**"Watch it Cat, I'm more of a Dog person so I won't hesitate to hurt you."**

"Um, Celest, there's something I have to tell you."

**"Not now Le—Scripta. I have to give this guy a piece of my mind!"**

"But Celest, you really need to hear this."

The male standing before them let out a hearty laugh, the sound harmonious despite how obnoxious it seemed. Both hands came to Lucy's hips in response, the small creature stood beside her mimicking her posture.

**"Listen here you brat! This is supposed to be fun! Blasting people to pieces isn't—"**

"Hey! I said I'm sorry, I know, how about I buy you dinner as an apology? The food here tastes pretty good and it'll fill your virtual stomach to the point of exploding."

An irritated twitch altered Lucy's features, the Celestial Wizard stepping forward before swinging an aggravated fist in the air.

**"Do you think that's funny?! I'll take you up on your offer but only because I'm a nice person."**

"It's a date; I have to meet up with my current party members right now, so how about we meet here tomorrow. Same time. It's my first time taking a girl out for dinner so you better not stand me up. See you around, Celest."

The male flashed her a wide grin, for unknown reasons, the way his features lit up sent Lucy's heart into a frenzy. She stepped back for a moment, startled by her reaction. In a matter of seconds the male was gone, his form disappearing, dust trailing behind him.

"Lucy…"

**"What is it? Are you alright?"**

Levy's entire face had been consumed by a deep shade of red; both hands were pressed over her lips. Plue was trembling beside her, the small creature swaying aimlessly side to side.

"I should have told you before; I should have told you the name of his tag. You just accepted a date with _Natsu_."

Everything around her seemed to run in slow motion, though her surroundings were spinning uncontrollably. The erratic pace of her heart came to an abrupt stop, a lump forming in the back of her throat.

**"What?!" **

* * *

_There it is, I hope you guys liked it. I'm a huge fan of Levy and Lucy so I just had to have them featured in the first chapter. I assure you, though comical and light-hearted now, this fic is going to take some serious twists and turns. I have a lot planned out for you guys, thank you for taking the time to read this! Feel free to leave me a review and let me know your thoughts!_


	2. Thunder God Tribe

_I'm so sorry for the long wait! I've been feeling really sick lately and, honestly, it screwed with my inspiration and creative drive. I hope this is alright, I just really wanted to get something posted. Enjoy. _

* * *

**CHAPTER TWO: THUNDER GOD TRIBE**

* * *

**"This is so humiliating! Why didn't you tell me right away?"**

A defeated Lucy, arms wrapped about her head, kept her face pressed against the table. Sounds of banter and the clanging of kitchen utensils overpowered her groans. Levy's hand shifted to sit on Lucy's mess of blonde hair which she then threaded between her fingers. A cloud of misery might as well make itself at home above the blonde's head; even the sporadic laughter that would sometimes flutter through the room seemed depressing.

"I'm sorry Lu, I didn't notice until later last night when we entered the field so you could level up. While monitoring your health I noticed it was missing."

Another groan. Levy's fingers tightened their hold around Lucy's hair, the tips of her fingers tracing along her scalp.

**"He's going to think I'm so stupid if he notices," **she cried in response, **"I joined the game in order to get Natsu's attention, if he thinks I'm stupid then he'll never take me seriously."**

Levy gave Lucy's hair a quick tug, hazel eyes snapping up to meet hers. The small girl released a satisfied laugh, lowering her hand so that Lucy could sit upright once again now that she'd captured her attention.

"I don't know what gives you that idea," Levy's eyes ticked towards the far end of the canteen where the boy in question had been pulled into a headlock, "At this rate his brain cells will be all over the floor."

**"But what if he does? What if he realises the 'E' is missing?"**

Levy slipped further back into her seat, eyes pulling away from the scene in the corner and settling on Lucy's face.

"You're making too much of a fuss, Natsu isn't going to notice that your gamer tag is spelled wrong. I bet he had to look up 'Salamander' before he even chose it."

**"There was just so much pressure and—"**

The bell. Though not quite Levy's saviour, it did wonders at ending Lucy's whining. The bookwork sincerely regretted ever bringing Lucy's misspelled tag to light in the first place. After all, the majority of names in-game were spelled wrong to accommodate the masses of players. There were to be no repetitions, some even had numbers. But Lucy didn't see it that way.

Natsu would absolutely never notice.

* * *

"Wow you've levelled up since yesterday, not bad for a newbie."

A touch of pink lifted to Lucy's virtual cheeks, her eyes flitting around the crowded little restaurant. This game truly did go all out to make the world feel as real as humanely possible. Table after table lined the walls, paintings of Earthland hung with decorations above each one. The centre of the restaurant served as an ingredients counter, selling all kinds of cooking supplies and food.

**"I had a little help from my friend; she's been playing the game a lot longer than I have. Besides, I want to buy more keys so I have to keep fighting monsters and earning jewels. Ever since I hit level ten I've been kind of stuck here, I'm not really sure how to advance. Plue isn't much help since he can't talk, I've been logged in over an hour and I can't seem to find my next quest."**

Natsu raised a brow, lowering his gaze to the small creature seated beside Lucy. He continued to tremble as though gripped by hands of ice; it certainly didn't alter his cute factor though. Seemingly embarrassed, Plue looked away from Natsu, sliding closer to Lucy.

"You're a Celestial Wizard, right? Before you leave Magnolia Town you have to reach level ten, most of the new players go to the Fairy Tail guild for help. Not me, though, me and Happy are partners, I don't need anybody else when I have my little buddy," Happy would've given an input, of that Lucy was certain, but Natsu continued right away, "Celestial Wizards like you are real rare these days, there was a girl who came real close to beating the game but her confidence got her killed. They say her spirit, the Lion, still wanders the area she died. She never logged in after the game announced her defeat, she had most of the Zodiac keys too, and everyone expected her to win. I'm gonna be that person one day, the person everyone expects to win!"

Lacing her fingers together against the table, Lucy thought long and hard about Natsu's words. It was this driven nature of his that made her fall for him in the real world. And his smile, she could watch him smile for days. But there was a glimmer of seriousness in his eyes whenever he talked about this world. This world truly was real to him, wasn't it?

The mention of Fairy Tail once again, however, sent chills along her spine. Had this guild really become so powerful that even the newer players chose to seek them out? Just who were these people? How did they become so important to the game? Was it even possible for players to influence events like that? She set those questions aside for the time being, opting to ask the first thing that popped to mind.

**"The Zodiac Keys? What are-"**

"Wow you really _are _stupid! What kind of person decides to play a game without reading the manual? That's like tryin' to catch some yummy fish without one of the better fishing poles. Why are you here with her, Salamander? Shouldn't we be with someone who at least knows how to _spell their own name_?"

The cat's voice struck like thunder, forcing Lucy to stand from her seat. Both palms hit the table with a force that shook the virtual surface, the sound sweeping over the entire room.

**"Shut it Cat! The 'E' is basically silent anyway! It doesn't have to be there! This is a game, isn't it? The tag isn't even important, it's just—"**

Interrupted once again, this time by the arrival of food, Lucy dropped back into her seat. Her eyes never once lifted to Natsu's face, the embarrassment having swallowed her whole. Her humiliation was short-lived, however, when the sound of a _pig _gorging himself consumed the entire room. Her eyes ticked upwards to about a dozen plates, each one completely empty. Slouched in his chair, a lethargic looking Natsu let out a heavy groan, his eyes rolling back into his head. Happy soon followed, falling back onto the table with a soft thud.

"Man that was some good grub."

**"D-did you even chew your food?!"**

From afar, Natsu had certainly _seemed_ like a valiant prince waiting to sweep Princess Lucy off her feet... but now… that image had been just a tiny bit fractured.

And then he picked up _her _plate.

Okay, the image was a whole lot fractured. In fact, the glass had shattered around her schoolgirl crush and exposed the beast within. Salamander, at this moment in time, was nothing short of disgusting.

"Thanks for the grub, Celest! I better be going, I have stuff to do."

Her brows pulled together in confusion.

**"Why are you thanking me? Aren't you the one who—hey! Where are you going? You said you were treating me to dinner! Isn't this a date? Hey! I refuse to pay for all this food! Get back here!"**

* * *

**"I'm so sorry Plue; I didn't mean to leave you behind. Please forgive me."**

On her knees, eyes fixed on the ground, Lucy let her pride wash away with the breeze. Natsu and Happy erupted into fits of laughter behind the desperate Lucy, a sulking Plue reaching out to pat her head affectionately.

In the end Lucy had chased Natsu and Happy all the way down the street, alarmed to discover Plue had been left at the restaurant. After a fit of panic and plenty of name calling, Natsu informed Lucy of a special 'call' function installed in the menu for Celestial Wizards. In a matter of seconds Plue was warped to her side, no harm, no foul. Or so she'd thought. The poor thing had burst into tears the second it appeared before her.

"Ewwww. Nobody wants to see your butt, stand up!"

Climbing to her feet Lucy grasped Happy's tail, holding the feline upside down, the hostile flicker in her eyes driving the soul right out of Natsu's companion.

**"Watch it Cat, I happen to ****_like _****my butt."**

From where he stood Natsu leaned over to noticeably inspect Lucy's rear, one brow raised in what looked like approval. The heat rushed to her cheeks, a brilliant shade of scarlet tainting her skin.

"Salamander! Stop looking at Celest's butt!" Happy called in protest.

"I wasn't! She has some—"

Before he could explain to Lucy that Plue had strategically placed a sheet of paper against her shorts, the celestial wizard launched her fist right into Natsu's face. The male staggered back, both hands flying up to his injured nose.

**"You pervert!"**

* * *

After clearing up the incident beforehand, putting it down to Happy's unquenched thirst for tormenting Lucy, the Celestial Wizard found herself standing before the majestic Fairy Tail Guild Hall. It was an extravagant building towering high into the clouds; it must've had a dozen floors to it. Flags flew from every direction. The crest adorning the sign was, in her opinion, extremely cute. But cute wasn't how she'd describe this guild. From the outside she'd already witnessed two fights, not to mention the lower windows had all been shattered from the inside. This place was terrifying.

**"W-what is this place? This can't be the elite Fairy Tail guild! It's a wreck!"**

The male standing beside her seemed to have an entirely different response to the guilds exterior.

"Aw yeah! I'm all fired up now! Let's go fight these guys, Happy!"

"Aye!"

Lucy's hand latched onto Natsu's scarf immediately, yanking him away from the entrance. The motion caused Happy to skid to a halt mid-air, twisting his form to look for his missing comrade.

**"You're going in there to ****_fight_**** the greatest guild in the game?! Are you stupid? They must be extremely high levels!"**

Happy fluttered past Natsu, sitting on Lucy's head.

"Don't worry about him, Celest. Worry about your butt."

She lifted both hands to swat Happy away from her, the emerald eyes of her avatar shifting to Natsu's face. She couldn't read him at all, the open book she'd witnessed back in school was a closed mystery novel here in Fairy Tail: Online.

"I'm going to fight the Thunder God Tribe," Natsu explained, "if you beat their leader, the Thunder God, you gain acceptance into the guild. He has body guards, though. Three players who're so strong and proud they use their real names in the game."

Happy flopped onto Natsu's head this time, raising one paw, requesting permission to speak.

"The Fairy Queen, Evergreen. The Rune Expert, Freed. And finally, Bickslow, the Keeper of Souls. If Salamander beats them, he'll get a shot at taking down the Thunder God, Laxus."

Lucy's eyes widened, exposing her curiosity. They sounded extremely powerful; it was difficult not to judge Natsu's sanity at this moment in time. She thought of him as somewhat of a masochist, or maybe a glutton for punishment. Either way – he was absolutely, without a doubt, insane.

**"They joined the game with their ****_real names_****? That's insane, why would anyone- wait, stop! Why are you going in there? I take it back; you're the one who's insane! Hey! Salamander! Happy!"**

Despite better judgement, Lucy found herself stumbling after them, Plue trailing slowly behind. Natsu burst through the doors fervently, every mage in the guild turning towards him. They said nothing, occupied by their own agendas. Even so, the animosity was thick in the air. Some of them looked at him with familiar eyes, as though they'd seen him countless times before.

"Hey! I'm here for a rematch! Come and get me!"

Lucy felt the blood drain from her virtual features.

**"A rematch? You've fought these guys before?! Are you stupid?"**

Happy let out a laugh, twirling about in the air.

"Aye! Six times by my count, this will be his seventh try."

**"Seven times? You really are insane! If you can't beat them why do you keep—"**

Interrupted by a pair of slender arms wrapping around her waist, Lucy let out a scream when her body was dragged into the air. The guild members turned to ants, a sense of nausea rendering her speechless.

"My, my, did you bring your girlfriend to play with you this time, Salamander? I'm severely disappointed; I thought she'd be cuter than this."

_Strike one._

Lucy didn't dare look down towards the ground, choosing instead to crane her neck and eye the woman currently hoisting her in the air. Insulted by the woman's choice of words, she contemplated multiple responses in her head, only to be outdone by Natsu's following words.

"What're you talking about, Evergreen?! She's not my girlfriend! I'm here to fight you by myself, she followed me in here!"

_Ouch. Strike two._

Evergreen let out a loud laugh, loosening her hold around Lucy, prompting a scream from the back of Lucy's throat.

"So you're some kind of stalker? How quaint."

**"Hey! I'm no stalker! That idiot came running in here and-!"**

A burst of fire came surging towards them, the woman known as Evergreen releasing Lucy in order to dodge the attack. The Celestial Wizard's swift descent was cut short when Happy latched onto her collar, dragging her over towards a distant table. Plue struggled across the room beneath them, eyes fixed on Lucy's flying form.

"Be careful, Celest. You're not a high enough level to fight these guys yet, since you're considered to be in Salamander's party they'll probably still attack you."

Lucy was horrified, well and truly. The panic sank deep into her skin, sending chills dancing along her spine. This day couldn't possibly get any worse.

**"I-I don't want to fight those guys! Wait… are you saying Salamander ****_is _****strong enough to fight those guys?!"**

"Of course he is," Happy paused for a moment, a vivid shade of yellow illuminating the walls as Natsu continued his duel with Evergreen, "Salamander is only ten levels below the Thunder God Tribe, he's a level seventy Dragon Slayer."

**"He's that strong?!" **_Wait __**"**_**You mean he's one of ****_the_**** seven—"**

"Aye! Salamander was one of the seven beta players who tested the game's battle system before it was released. He's one of few players who can receive abilities from the Dragon's in Fairy Tail: Online."

Tilting her head to watch while Natsu repeatedly lunged at the confident Evergreen, Lucy could see for the first time that his strength far exceeded her own. His expression had altered completely, the way his features pulled together so seriously made her heart race. Why hadn't she noticed his level before? It was practically written into his being.

"You'd do a better job impressing your girlfriend elsewhere, Salamander. You must feel so deflated, all of these attempts were in vain. You poor thing, why don't you _sit down?_"

With one simple move, Evergreen sent Natsu hurtling down into the ground. The floorboards shattered and lifted from their place, the Dragon Slayer falling through into the basement. It was innate for Happy to go and assist Natsu, like any good friend would, leaving Lucy sitting alone with Plue. So wrapped up in disbelief, the Celestial Wizard hadn't noticed the masked man approaching her from behind. He thrust one hand onto the table, wrapping his other arm around her.

"Hey cutie, wanna sell me your soul? I'll give you a good price, you can even pick where I keep it."

**"N-no thanks, I'd rather not. Actually I was just leaving…"**

"Bickslow," another man stepped out of the shadows, green hair falling past his shoulders, "Don't antagonise our guest. Shouldn't you assist Evergreen in our battle?"

Bickslow released a hearty laugh, shifting one hand to Freed's shoulder.

"_Assist _our Ever? Does she look like she needs assistance to you? You crack me up, Freed."

**"Freed?" **Lucy questioned, lifting her gaze to his, **"You're—"**

"TOAST!"

Natsu's voice reverberated off the walls, the battered male soaring through the air straight for Freed with the help of his blue companion. The pair hurtled right for the table. It took mere seconds for the Dragon Slayer to be sent through the floorboards again.

Lucy couldn't stand to watch this anymore. Thrusting her elbow back into Bickslow's chest, the virtual brunette jumped off the table, tossing her key into the air.

**"Open! Gate of the Spirit Bow!"**

Readying her weapon, Lucy locked Ever in her sight, waiting for the prime time to shoot.

"This is getting old," Ever remarked, shifting her gaze to Lucy, "How about we make things interesting?"

Faced with an assault of arrows, Evergreen took her sweet time catching one after the other, approaching Lucy with renewed vigour. When finally she approached, Ever knocked the bow free from Lucy's hands, grasping the Celestial Wizard's hair with one set of fingers. Forcing her head back, Evergreen lowered her glasses.

The last thing Lucy remembered was the terrified woman reflected back at her in Evergreen's cold eyes.

* * *

_Next chapter will most likely be in Natsu's perspective, I want to detail his fight with the Thunder God Tribe as best I can. Thank you for reading! xo_


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